The use of bone material (e.g., bone graft, demineralized bone matrix, bone substitute material, etc.) in orthopedic medicine is known. While bone wounds can regenerate without the formation of scar tissue, fractures and other orthopedic injuries take a long time to heal, during which time the bone is unable to support physiologic loading unaided. Metal pins, screws, rods, plates and meshes are frequently required to replace the mechanical functions of injured bone. However, metal is significantly more stiff than bone. Use of metal implants may result in decreased bone density around the implant site due to stress shielding. Physiologic stresses and corrosion may cause metal implants to fracture, Unlike bone, which can heal small damaged cracks through remodeling to prevent more extensive damage and failure, damaged metal implants can only be replaced or removed. The natural cellular healing and remodeling mechanisms of the body coordinate removal of bone and bone grafts by osteoclast cells and formation of bone by osteoblast cells.
Conventionally, bone tissue regeneration is achieved by filling a bone repair site with bone material. Over time, the bone material is incorporated by the host and new bone remodels the bone material. In order to implant the bone material, it is common to use a bone material delivery tool.
Currently, there are various delivery tools used for bone material delivery, however, not many tools can be used effectively when performing minimally invasive percutaneous spinal procedures. Percutaneous spinal procedures involve access to the spine via needle-puncture of the skin, rather than by using an open approach where the spine is exposed. Because of the limited amount of access to the spine, there can be challenges when delivering bone material percutaneously during minimally invasive surgical procedures. For example, it can be challenging to place bone material percutaneously since the small incisions made in a patient do not provide enough room for surgeons to directly access the surgical site. Further, often the location of the surgical site, for example, at the spine can be a difficult location to implant bone material as the location may be very close to a nerve.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide devices for effectively delivering bone material (e.g., bone graft, demineralized bone matrix, bone substitute material, etc.) percutaneously to a target tissue site. Methods of delivering bone material and kits to allow delivery of the bone material would also be beneficial.